Contents

[rips camera off the wall and speaks into it to Killian, who just offered him a job as a Stalker] You cold-blooded bastard! I'll tell you what I think about it. I'll live to see you eat that contract! But I hope you leave enough room for my fist because I'm going to ram it into your stomach and BREAK YOUR GODDAMN SPINE!!! [smashes camera]

[On the phone getting chewed out by government officials for the death of Subzero] Yes, I know a Stalker died. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Now look, you people at the Justice Department cannot have it both ways! You hired me to entertain. If you want keep the people away from tax revolts, food riots, and bread lines and parked in front of their TVs you sure as hell are not going to do that with reruns of Gilligan's Island!...Gilligan's Island?...You know!...[Hums a few bars from "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island"]...Yes, the one with the boat!

[Killian has just unveiled Laughlin and Weiss to a disbelieving Richards and explains the game mechanics to the audience]

Damon Killian: You know how this works. The game zone is divided into four hundred square blocks, left over from the big quake of '97, and I don't think any of us will ever forget that. [audience laughs] Once inside the zone, the Runners have three hours, they've got to go through all four game quads, three hours or less, and they're going to need every second, 'cause you know who's on their tail?

Studio Audience: The Stalkers!

Killian: Who?!

Studio Audience: THE STALKERS!!!

Killian: And you know what happens then!!

Studio Audience: Anything goes!

Killian: What?!

Studio Audience: ANYTHING GOES!!!

Killian: [goes back up the stage] Right! Without further ado, it's time to start... [faces audience with arms up high] RUNNING!!

[The audience cheers as Richards' rocket sled prepares to be launched into the game zone]

[Frustrated that he's now the next Stalker to face Richards, Captain Freedom barges into the control booth]

Captain Freedom: Forget it, Killian, I won't do it!

Killian: It's not a request, moron, it's an order.

Captain Freedom: I don't need this crap! [strips off gear] This stuff is garbage! I was killing guys like this ten years ago with my bare hands! I'm not going for any of these tricks! This is a sport of death and honor, Code of the Gladiators!

Killian: Cap, will you spare me the combat Zen speech? What the hell's the matter with you? Can't you see what's going on out there? This isn't a game! They're betting on Richards up there!

Captain Freedom: Bullshit!

Killian: Get out of here! [to his bodyguard Sven] Get him out of here! [Sven stays still] What's the matter? Steroids make you deaf? Get him out of here NOW!!

[Sven shrugs his shoulders at Captain Freedom, who simply leaves the control booth after almost running onto Killian's assistant]

[The resistance hacks into the ICS broadcast and puts in their own video of spliced clips]

Killian: [on video] We don't lie - lie - lie... like our previous winners Whitman, Price, and Haddad. You remember them! [stills appear of the corpses that Amber found in the locker room] There they are at this very moment, basking under the Maui sun, their debt to society paid in full. Watch that screen.